Today, more and more businesses are using new and modern marketing strategies to improve the effectiveness of their messages, the impact of their campaigns, and of course, increase brand awareness to attract more customers or clients. One of the strategies that has seen huge success is influencer marketing, or in other words, brand partnerships with relevant social media influencers that help companies to reach their target audience and produce relatively inexpensive advertising. So let's discuss what powering your brand by influencers is and why you may want to implement this marketing strategy.
It goes without saying that trust is the key to increasing online sales, so there is no better way to reach the masses and build trust with online customers other than through the power of influencers.
Influencer marketing is a concept whereby one consumer trusts another more than a brand. Influencers are social media personalities, usually blogger or content creator, that assert themselves as influencers in their specific criteria. They are typically divided into three categories based on the number of their followers: macro-influencers, micro-influencers and nano-influencers. Since influencers love to try out and share new products, they tend to promote products, services or brands to the audience they have built trust with.
Fashion used to be a privilege dictated by those who have access to fashion shows, but nowadays, thanks to different online fashion gurus, fashion-related information is available to everyone. If there is an industry that can be called a "pioneer" in influencer marketing, then it is the fashion industry. No surprise, #fashion is one of the most popular hashtags on Instagram.
Using a variety of channels on the Internet, influencers are creating their own definition of 'style' and freely express themselves by creating a new look of the day or by sharing their favorite fashion items. Whether it is models, stylists, fashion magazine editors or fashionistas, many brands pay them to wear their shoes, clothes and accessories or mention it in their stories and post caption so that hundreds, thousands and even millions of their followers can see it.
Since the traditional buying journey for cosmetics and skincare products has evolved while many consumers are tired of photoshopped advertising campaigns, you can see why this industry is continually evolving and generating new trends thanks to beauty influencers. Using influencer marketing is so popular in the beauty industry because not only beauty influencers talk about the benefits of the product or service but also show them.
Plus, if someone is subjected to skin issues like acne, they are most likely following an influencer struggling with the same problem. Or they can also follow an authority on beauty science for more targeted information and advice on which components are best for their skin, which brands match their stated ingredients and so on. Such diversity in the industry allows brands to work with multiple influencers who can help them reach out to their potential customers from different angles.
The health/fitness industry also continues to thrive, in part because social media influencers show consumers what the success of their health, wellness or fitness journey might look like. Powering your brand by influencers in this spacer can be a powerful sales growth and brand recognition tool.
As many people all around the world have started looking into the internet for questions about major health problems, at-home workouts and wellness tips, influencers can show the potential benefits of using your product by telling how it has helped them achieve their health and fitness goals.
Nowadays, consumers spend a lot of time on social media. In fact, 1.2 billion users access Instagram daily, making it the largest social community aside from YouTube (2.3 billion) and Facebook (2.7 billion).
With such a variety of social media platforms, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly where your potential customers/clients spend most of their time, while placing ads on the wrong channels can be a waste of resources. This is where influencers come in handy. Here are some of the reasons why turning to influencer marketing can be a good idea for your company.
Bloggers and content creators that are relevant to your company have already an established audience with shared interests. Hence, if you have picked the right influencer to work with, you can easily reach your niche audience. As influencers are already connecting with your target group, there is also no need to spend extra money just to test and identify your market.
With social media influencers, you also get the opportunity to market your products/services to everyone who follows them. This allows you to bond with another segment of the market and showcases your stuff to an entirely new group of views within their audience, which in turn significantly increase your brand awareness and reputation.
Real-time content like high-quality posts that include images or videos as well as Instagram Stories or Live gives influencers multiple ways to interact with their followers. Instead of engaging with a single ad, influencers and brand ambassadors can use their creative freedom to integrate your offerings into their daily life, showcasing them in the way they deem most appropriate. It's a key way of powering your brand by influencers.
One of the issues that all brands face when using traditional advertising is that they are constantly paying. Typically, you have to pay every time someone clicks on your ad, whether they purchase something or not. Some organizations rely on the help of flex loan and various financial options to keep cash flowing and cover costs on SEO marketing or PPC campaigns.
When it comes to an influencer, they usually charge a flat fee for every post created. As an alternative, they can provide promotional codes and affiliate links that lead to direct commissions. Or you can even promote something for the cost of a product/service. Who doesn't love getting free stuff, right?
The key is finding the right micro influencers and there are services that help with how to find micro influencers. If you choose strategic partnerships with influencers, chances are you'll get a solid return on your investment. Statistics show that businesses often make around $5.20 for every dollar they spend on their influencer marketing. Even though the cost of partnering and powering your brand with influencers can vary depending on how famous they are and how much they tend to charge per sponsored post, the number of leads you will generate usually outweighs these fees over time.
